Lottery Scam
A lottery scam is a type of advance-fee fraud which begins with an unexpected email notification, phone call, or mail-letter (sometimes including a large check) explaining that "You have won!" a large sum of money in a lottery. The recipient of the message—the target of the scam—is usually told to keep the notice secret, and is then solicited for some amount of money in order to "confirm" the prize they have won.